Latest news with #RussiaRegulations2019
Observer
11-04-2025
- Business
- Observer
Former Russian minister jailed for UK sanctions breaches
LONDON: A former governor appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in illegally annexed Crimea has been sentenced by a British court to 40 months' imprisonment for circumventing sanctions, in the first case of its kind. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, once the governor of Sevastopol, was convicted of having tens of thousands of pounds transferred into his newly opened Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) account by his wife, when he knew he was prohibited from doing so. Under the original asset freeze Ovsiannikov was not allowed to spend money even on basic necessities, and others were not permitted to assist him to do so. The case is the first prosecution in the UK regarding a breach of sanctions under the Russia Regulations 2019. These were imposed after the European Union sanctions ceased to have an effect in the UK post-Brexit. Ovsiannikov was found guilty at London's Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday of six out of seven counts of circumventing sanctions between February 2023 and January 2024. He was sentenced at the same court on Friday to 40 months' imprisonment for each count to be served concurrently. The total amount of time Ovsiannikov will serve was reduced by the 217 days he has spent on curfew, and he will spend up to half of his sentence in custody before he is released on licence. His brother Alexei Owsjanikow, 47, was sentenced to 15 months in prison suspended for the same amount of time after being convicted of two counts of circumventing sanctions by paying school fees of £41,027 ($53,700) for his sibling's children. Ovsiannikov's wife Ekaterina Ovsiannikova was cleared of four countsof circumventing sanctions by assisting with payments totalling £76,000 into her husband's Halifax account in February 2023. She sent him £1,000 and then a further three instalments of £25,000. Ovsiannikov waved to her after the sentence was handed out and she waved back and smiled. Ahead of sentencing, Rosemary Davidson, defending Ovsiannikov, told the judge that the entire family including the older children has been "de-banked" again after the press reported the conviction. "It's going to be a feature of their lives going forward", she said,adding that Dmitrii "has to live" with the fact this has significantly impacted "those nearest and dear to him". "That is also part of the consequences that he has to bear and continues to bear", she said. Sentencing the two men, Mrs Justice Cockerill said the "weight given" to the fact that the Russia-Ukraine war is ongoing "had to be fairly limited". She said their offending was on the "simple and candid end of the scale - a country mile from the kinds of structures seen in some fraud claims." The funds were transferred by family members into the Halifax bank account in Ovsiannikov's name and "no attempt was made to disguise"the payments, the judge added. The financial gain was "very limited indeed" and "each offence in the banking aspect related to no more than £25,000", she said. Addressing Owsjanikow, Mrs Justice Cockerill said there was "a clear motivation" to support the children as they transitioned to life in the UK and that was "plainly in the hearts of all those involved in this case". The offending was "well, rather than badly, intended in its dominant motive", she added. Putin appointed Ovsiannikov as the governor of Sevastopol in Crimea on July 28, 2016 in a "high-profile political appointment", the court previously heard. He took up the role two years after Russia illegally annexed theregion from Ukraine. - dpa
The Independent
11-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Former Russian minister jailed for UK sanctions breaches
A former governor appointed by Russian president Vladimir Putin in illegally annexed Crimea has been sentenced to 40 months' imprisonment for circumventing sanctions, in the first case of its kind. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, once the governor of Sevastopol, was convicted of having tens of thousands of pounds transferred into a newly opened Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) account by his wife, when he knew he was prohibited from doing so. Ovsiannikov had also served as the Russian Federation's deputy minister for industry and trade before he was dismissed and expelled from the ruling United Russia party in 2020. Under the original asset freeze Ovsiannikov was not allowed to spend money even on basic necessities, and others were not permitted to assist him to do so. Ovsiannikov was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday of six out of seven counts of circumventing sanctions between February 2023 and January 2024. He was sentenced at the same court on Friday to 40 months' imprisonment for each count to be served concurrently. The total amount of time Ovsiannikov will serve was reduced by the 217 days he has spent on curfew, and he will spend up to half of his sentence in custody before he is released on licence. His brother Alexei Owsjanikow, 47, was sentenced to 15 months in prison suspended for 15 months after being convicted of two counts of circumventing sanctions by paying school fees of £41,027 for his sibling's children. The case is the first prosecution in the UK regarding a breach of sanctions under the Russia Regulations 2019. Sentencing the two men, Mrs Justice Cockerill said that the 'weight given' to the fact that the Russia-Ukraine war is ongoing 'had to be fairly limited'. The maximum sentence for breaching the Russia Regulations 2019 is seven years' imprisonment. Ovsiannikov was wearing a blue jumper and Owsjanikow a light-coloured casual jacket and both brothers brought packed bags into the dock. The jury failed to reach a verdict on the charge that Ovsiannikov deliberately avoided sanctions by opening the Halifax account. His wife Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, who was in the public gallery on Friday, has been cleared of four counts of circumventing sanctions by assisting with payments totalling £76,000 to her husband in February 2023. Owsjanikow was cleared of a further three counts of breaching sanctions including buying a Mercedes-Benz worth £54,500 and arranging car insurance for Ovsiannikov.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Russian minister jailed for UK sanctions breaches
A former governor appointed by Russian president Vladimir Putin in illegally annexed Crimea has been sentenced to 40 months' imprisonment for circumventing sanctions, in the first case of its kind. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, once the governor of Sevastopol, was convicted of having tens of thousands of pounds transferred into a newly opened Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) account by his wife, when he knew he was prohibited from doing so. Ovsiannikov had also served as the Russian Federation's deputy minister for industry and trade before he was dismissed and expelled from the ruling United Russia party in 2020. Under the original asset freeze Ovsiannikov was not allowed to spend money even on basic necessities, and others were not permitted to assist him to do so. Ovsiannikov was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday of six out of seven counts of circumventing sanctions between February 2023 and January 2024. He was sentenced at the same court on Friday to 40 months' imprisonment for each count to be served concurrently. The total amount of time Ovsiannikov will serve was reduced by the 217 days he has spent on curfew, and he will spend up to half of his sentence in custody before he is released on licence. His brother Alexei Owsjanikow, 47, was sentenced to 15 months in prison suspended for 15 months after being convicted of two counts of circumventing sanctions by paying school fees of £41,027 for his sibling's children. The case is the first prosecution in the UK regarding a breach of sanctions under the Russia Regulations 2019. Sentencing the two men, Mrs Justice Cockerill said that the 'weight given' to the fact that the Russia-Ukraine war is ongoing 'had to be fairly limited'. The maximum sentence for breaching the Russia Regulations 2019 is seven years' imprisonment. Ovsiannikov was wearing a blue jumper and Owsjanikow a light-coloured casual jacket and both brothers brought packed bags into the dock. The jury failed to reach a verdict on the charge that Ovsiannikov deliberately avoided sanctions by opening the Halifax account. His wife Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, who was in the public gallery on Friday, has been cleared of four counts of circumventing sanctions by assisting with payments totalling £76,000 to her husband in February 2023. Owsjanikow was cleared of a further three counts of breaching sanctions including buying a Mercedes-Benz worth £54,500 and arranging car insurance for Ovsiannikov.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Russian minister ‘shocked' to learn he was subject to sanctions in UK
A former Russian minister told police he was shocked to learn he was subject to sanctions in the UK, a court has heard. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, 48, the former mayor of Sevastopol in illegally annexed Crimea, is facing seven counts of circumventing sanctions between February 2023 and January 2024. He is said to have deliberately avoided sanctions by opening a Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) account on or before February 2023 and having tens of thousands of pounds transferred to it by his wife, Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, 47. Ovsiannikova is facing four counts of breaching sanctions by assisting with the payments. Ovsiannikov's brother, Alexei Owsjanikow, 47, has denied circumventing sanctions to buy him a Mercedes Benz worth £54,500, as well as spending £41,027 on fees at the Royal Russell School in Surrey for Ovsiannikov's children. Body-worn footage played to the jury showed National Crime Agency (NCA) officers arresting Ovsiannikov in a residential street on January 22 2024 on suspicion of breaching UK financial sanctions. During an interview he answered no comment, before telling officers that he 'hoped no one knew that he had left Russia and he had spent a number of years' making it possible to leave, prosecutor Lyndon Harris summarised at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday. The EU designated Ovsiannikov on November 21 2017, restricting him from entering and accessing funds in member states. It said his work had compromised or threatened the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. EU sanctions ceased to apply in the UK after Brexit and the country created its own regime, the Russia Regulations 2019. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) designated Ovsiannikov under the Russia Regulations in December 2020 and he remains a designated person. His name was on the UK Sanctions List public website from December 31 that year. At that time he did not have a British passport. On August 1 2022, Ovsiannikov travelled from Russia to Turkey and three days later applied online for a UK passport. It was issued in January and he arrived in the UK on February 1 2023. That month, he was removed from the EU sanctions list following a previous ruling by the the Court of Justice of the European Union. On February 7, he emailed the FCDO a form to review his sanctions in the UK. In March, solicitors Peters and Peters LLP wrote to the same Government office on his behalf about his designation. During the January 2024 NCA interview, which Ovsiannikov elected to do without a Russian translator, he suggested he had thought he was no longer a designated person in the UK. A transcript was read to jurors, in which Ovsiannikov said: 'I believed one year ago that the decision in the European Union, when you were inside the European Union when I applied, and (the) European Court said that my designation was unlawful since September 2020, when the United Kingdom was the member of the (European) Union (sic). 'And when I came I found out, it was a shock for me, I didn't know'. He was asked what he gave for the good character requirement on his UK visa application, and responded he was 'not a criminal and was a positive person for the United Kingdom', Mr Harris told jurors. He declined to give the pin for either of his phones, stating that they contained privileged legal information. An investigating NCA officer, who gave evidence behind a screen and was given the alias Alex, told jurors that officers worked out the Pin for one device using CCTV to see where Ovsiannikov tapped the screen. Most of the uncovered messages between him and Ovsiannikova were about their children and 'ordinary household matters'. There were none before March 8 2023 about Ovsiannikov being subject to an asset freeze or being unable to bank in the UK. Messages did not mention concerns about whether he could enter the UK or how they would live while he was designated. Ovsiannikova was questioned voluntarily about her involvement in the alleged offences eight days later. She described being 'horrified' by the situation and denied knowing her husband was at the time subject to sanctions. 'I was aware my husband had been sanctioned but this had been overturned in the EU, and I had no knowledge that he was subject to an asset freeze in the UK and I don't think he knew either', she said. Halifax bank notified her in March 2023 that it would close her account, she told officers. She added that she was able to move some funds but had 'a few thousand pounds remaining' which she withdrew in cash for day-to-day living expenses such as food and clothes. Ovsiannikova said 'I'm really upset about this situation and the impact on my children', adding that she would never have transferred funds to her husband 'if I wasn't allowed to', the court heard. The trial continues.
The Independent
25-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Former Russian minister ‘shocked' to learn he was subject to sanctions in UK
A former Russian minister told police he was shocked to learn he was subject to sanctions in the UK, a court has heard. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, 48, the former mayor of Sevastopol in illegally annexed Crimea, is facing seven counts of circumventing sanctions between February 2023 and January 2024. He is said to have deliberately avoided sanctions by opening a Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) account on or before February 2023 and having tens of thousands of pounds transferred to it by his wife, Ekaterina Ovsiannikova, 47. Ovsiannikova is facing four counts of breaching sanctions by assisting with the payments. Ovsiannikov's brother, Alexei Owsjanikow, 47, has denied circumventing sanctions to buy him a Mercedes Benz worth £54,500, as well as spending £41,027 on fees at the Royal Russell School in Surrey for Ovsiannikov's children. Body-worn footage played to the jury showed National Crime Agency (NCA) officers arresting Ovsiannikov in a residential street on January 22 2024 on suspicion of breaching UK financial sanctions. During an interview he answered no comment, before telling officers that he 'hoped no one knew that he had left Russia and he had spent a number of years' making it possible to leave, prosecutor Lyndon Harris summarised at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday. The EU designated Ovsiannikov on November 21 2017, restricting him from entering and accessing funds in member states. It said his work had compromised or threatened the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. EU sanctions ceased to apply in the UK after Brexit and the country created its own regime, the Russia Regulations 2019. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) designated Ovsiannikov under the Russia Regulations in December 2020 and he remains a designated person. His name was on the UK Sanctions List public website from December 31 that year. At that time he did not have a British passport. On August 1 2022, Ovsiannikov travelled from Russia to Turkey and three days later applied online for a UK passport. It was issued in January and he arrived in the UK on February 1 2023. That month, he was removed from the EU sanctions list following a previous ruling by the the Court of Justice of the European Union. On February 7, he emailed the FCDO a form to review his sanctions in the UK. In March, solicitors Peters and Peters LLP wrote to the same Government office on his behalf about his designation. During the January 2024 NCA interview, which Ovsiannikov elected to do without a Russian translator, he suggested he had thought he was no longer a designated person in the UK. A transcript was read to jurors, in which Ovsiannikov said: 'I believed one year ago that the decision in the European Union, when you were inside the European Union when I applied, and (the) European Court said that my designation was unlawful since September 2020, when the United Kingdom was the member of the (European) Union (sic). 'And when I came I found out, it was a shock for me, I didn't know'. He was asked what he gave for the good character requirement on his UK visa application, and responded he was 'not a criminal and was a positive person for the United Kingdom', Mr Harris told jurors. He declined to give the pin for either of his phones, stating that they contained privileged legal information. An investigating NCA officer, who gave evidence behind a screen and was given the alias Alex, told jurors that officers worked out the Pin for one device using CCTV to see where Ovsiannikov tapped the screen. Most of the uncovered messages between him and Ovsiannikova were about their children and 'ordinary household matters'. There were none before March 8 2023 about Ovsiannikov being subject to an asset freeze or being unable to bank in the UK. Messages did not mention concerns about whether he could enter the UK or how they would live while he was designated. Ovsiannikova was questioned voluntarily about her involvement in the alleged offences eight days later. She described being 'horrified' by the situation and denied knowing her husband was at the time subject to sanctions. 'I was aware my husband had been sanctioned but this had been overturned in the EU, and I had no knowledge that he was subject to an asset freeze in the UK and I don't think he knew either', she said. Halifax bank notified her in March 2023 that it would close her account, she told officers. She added that she was able to move some funds but had 'a few thousand pounds remaining' which she withdrew in cash for day-to-day living expenses such as food and clothes. Ovsiannikova said 'I'm really upset about this situation and the impact on my children', adding that she would never have transferred funds to her husband 'if I wasn't allowed to', the court heard. The trial continues.
